The Philippine Coast Guard on Sunday accused China of carrying out “dangerous” maneuvers during a nine-day patrol off the coast of the archipelago.
In a press statement, Manila condemned Chinese Coast Guard vessels for “performing dangerous maneuvers and obstructing on four occasions” against a Philippine patrol boat.
The patrol vessel, BRP Teresa Magbanua, was deployed in early February to “ensure the safety of Filipino fishermen” around the Scarborough Reef area in the South China Sea, about 350 kilometers west of Manila. This coral reef was taken from the Philippines by Beijing in 2012.
During the mission, four Chinese Coast Guard vessels “followed” the patrol boat, according to the Philippines.
The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately make any comment.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including waters and islands near the coasts of its neighbors, and has ignored an international court ruling in 2016 rejecting this claim.
The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim many coral reefs and islets in this sea, some areas of which could contain rich oil reserves.
In December, a Philippine boat and a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided in the waters of the Spratly Islands, near Thomas Atoll II where a Filipino garrison is located. Both countries blamed each other for the incident.
